Alfalfa blossom stamen tripper



'July 27, 1954 E. J. KANTACK ALFALFA BLOSSOM STAMEN TRIPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1953 mwn w W .h.\ wk m K w W E M m kw, \N w N. v NJ w. v N Y 4 Q5 k B H.

ATTUR N EYS Jul 27, 1954 E. J. KANTACK ALFALFA BLOSSOM STAMEN TRIPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1955 mm Mm w mm INVENTOR. I am/mZZwzfw/g av %J ATTEIRNEYE Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

improved means for tripping alfalfa stamens "when the alfalfa. plants are turgid to facilitate fertilization and seed production.

Various attempts have been. made to increase fertilization seed production of alfalfa inflorescence, particularly by rubbing the florets, however, because of the inherent structure of the alfalfa inflorescence the rubbing action is injurious to the blossoms and the stimulus required to trip alfalfa blossom stamens without injuring the florets or alfalfa inflorescence must be accurately calculated. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a tractor attachment wherein soft rubber rollers coacting with soft rubber pads carried through a field of alfalfa with the rollers rotating at predetermined speeds trip the alfalfa blossom stamens without ina juring the alfalfa inflorescence.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for constructing and mounting an attachment on a tractor whereby alfalfa stamens of alfalfa florets are tripped as the device passes through a field of alfalfa.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tractor attachment for tripping alfalfa blossom stamens whereby the attachment may readily be mounted on a tractor and operated by the power take-d and power lift thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tractor attachment for tripping the stamens of alfalfa inflorescence in which the attachment is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a frame adapted to be pivotally mounted on a tractor with means for elevating the frame from the tractor and also means for operating parts in the frame by the tractor and in which the frame includes a plurality of spaced fingers or points with soft rubber rollers coacting with resilient pads positioned to receive products passing between the fingers or points.

Other features and advantages of the inven-- tion will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View illustrating a tractor with the attachment mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a plan View also showing the tractor with the attachment mounted thereon.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View illustrating one of the fingers or points with the parts shown on an enlarged scale and showing a shield and roller carried by the frame of the finger.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a plan View of a plurality of fingers of the attachment with the parts shown on an enlarged scale and with parts broken away.

Figure 5 is a vertical section through one of the soft rubber rollers of the attachment also with the parts shown on an enlarged scale and with parts broken away.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view showin one of the soft rubber rollers in combination with a resilient pad and in which the pad mounting shield shown in section.

Figure 7 is a detail illustrating a resilient element for urging the shield with the resilient pad thereon toward its roller.

Figure 8 is a detail showing a four-way valve through which hydraulic pressure of the tractor is applied to the elevating power lift cylinder, showing the parts with the pressure applied to the forward end of the cylinder.

Figure 9 is a similar view showing the valve with the positions of the parts reversed from the position shown in Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings wherein iike reference characters denote corresponding parts the frames Iii, forming the parallel fingers and which are provided with points H are pivotally mounted on a shaft 12 and rollers l3 journaled in the frames are positioned to coact with resilient pads HS in offset sections 15 of shields I6 pivotally mounted in the frame and positioned to coact with shields ii to guide the alfalfa inflorescence between the rolls and pads.

The shaft I2 is mounted on the sides of the tractor housing with bearing brackets 18 and I9 and the elevation of the frames If] is adjusted by cylinders 2%, connecting rods 2i of which are pivotally connected to a cross beam 22 by pins 23. With the parts arranged in this manner pressure applied to one side of a piston in the cylinder 20 by the four way valve 24 elevates the frames Ill and pressure applied to the opposite side lowers the frames.

The shields IE on one side of the fingers are pivotally mounted with pins in the frames and these shields are held with bolts 26 and 21 which extend through ears 28 and 29, respectively, as shown in Fig. 7. Springs 30, positioned on the bolts and bearing against the frames it at one end and washers 3| held by adjusting nuts 32, at the other urge the shields away from the frames whereby the pads I i are resiliently held against the soft rubber covering or sleeves of the rollers l3.

The frames It are also provided with stationary shields H, as shown in Fig. 3, the shields l'i' extending from points 8 to sloping edges and these hields are secured to the frames with bolts 36.

The rollers is with the soft rubber covering sleeves 33 are mounted on shafts 3'1, the lower ends of which are iournaled in bearings 38 on the lower members of the frames It and the upper ends in bearings at on upper members or flanges of the frames iii. The rollers 13 are keyed to the shafts 3'5 with keys ill.

The upper ends of the shafts 3,2 are provided. with beveled gears which mesh with beveled gears on a transversely positioned shaft 53 and the shaft which is journaled in bearings as and on the end fr nies or fingers is driven from the power talre-of3 of the tractor through a beveled gear as on a telescoping shaft ii. The shaft is journaled in a bearing 53, at one end, and the opposite end is secured to a stubshaft t8 journaled in a bearing hrough a universal joint ti. The opposite end of the stubshaft s9 is connected by a universal joint 52 to an intermediate shaft the opposite end of which is connected by universal joint its to a shaft vich driven by gears and ill from the power tal e-off shaft 55 of a tractor 5% and upon which the attachment is mounted. The shaft 53 is journaled in bearings E i and ti on a platform of the tractor.

The power lift cylinder it is pivotally mounted in brackets ti on the tractor housing with pins 5 i.

it will be understood that the relative size and spacing between or franies It is exaggerated for the purpose of illustration as these fingers are comparatively close so that narrow passages are provided for receiving alfalfa as the attachment is moved by the tractor through a field.

th the parts arranged in this manner the position of the attachment is set by the cylinders depending upon the height of the alfalfa and as the attachment is carried through the field the alfalfa inflorescence passes between the shields ii.- and ii, preferably with the florets turgid and with the shields it adjusted whereby the pads It engage the soft rubber sleeves of the rollers with suilicient pressure to impose the required stimulus to the individual florets of the alfalfa, the stamen of the individual florets or blossoms is tripped therefrom without injury to the alfalfa inflorescence.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. All alfalfa stanien tri per comprising spaced fingers, means for pivotally mounting said fingers on a tractor, ertically disposed rollers having resilient surfaces journaled in said fingers, means for rotating said rollers by the power take-off of a tractor, shields pivotally mounted in said fingers and positioned to correspond with said rollers, resilient pads on said shields positioned to coast with said rollers, and resilient means for actuating the shields whereby the resilient pads are urged against the surfaces of the rollers.

2. An alfalfa stainen tripper comprising spaced fingers, means for pivotally mounting said fingers on a tractor, vertically disposed rollers having resilient surfaces ournaled in said means for rotating said rollers by the power take-off of a tractor, shields pivotally mounted in said fingers and positioned to correspond with said rollers, resilient pads on said shields positioned to coast with said rollers, resilient means for actuating the shields whereby the resilient pads are urged against the surfaces of the rollers, and stationary shields oppositely mounted in relation to the give-tally mounted shields and positioned to guide ina erial passing between the fingers to said rollers.

3. An alfalf fingers,

starncn tripper com rising means for pivotally n10; a tractor, vertically to coast with said rollers, resilent means for actuating the shields whereby the .-t pads are u ged against t e surfaces of the rollers, and means or ting the elevation of fingers ing the parts on a tractor.

5. In an alfalfa starnen tripper, combination which comprises a shaft, means for mounting the shaft on a tractor, late ly spaced parallel frames pivotall nice ed on sha' tically disposed rollers having journa ed in said frames, gu offset sections therein extended from leading ends of the frames to positions at the sides of rollers, cushioning pads positioned in the offset sections and fixed to the shields and positioned o be engaged by the rollers and means for rot the rollers.

6. An alfalfa stamen tripper, comprising a plurality of resilient rollers, angular-1y arranged shields coasting with said rollers, resilient pads carried by certain of shields and arranged contiguous to said rollers, means for mounting said rollers and shields on a vehicle, and scans for rotating said rollers whereby there results a simultaneous turning and pressing of florets.

ercnces in the file of this patent UllITED STATES PATENTS 

